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Public transport is crucial for getting us from one place to another, but it’s a pleasing little bonus when your route happens to be surrounded by awe-inspiring beauty.
Well, luckily for residents of Helsinki, that’s their reality when they travel on the city’s newly extended tram network, which has been dubbed as the ‘world’s most beautiful’ by regional transport authorities.
According to the Railway Gazette, the tramline – called the Kruunusillat (‘Crown Bridges’) – has shortened the 11km journey from central Helsinki to the island suburb of Laajasalo to just 5.5km, and it’s served by lines 11 and 12.
The extended portion of the route starts from Hakaniemi, where a 6.7km arm of the tramline reaches east to Hopealaakso and Yliskylä, and a 1.2km stretch connects Hopealaakso to Kruunuvuorenranta.
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The project cost €463 million and involved building three new mjor bridges: Merihaan Bridge, which sits 3m above sea level and is 422 metres long; the 293m long Fiinkensilta Bridge, which sits 7m above the water; and the Kruunuvuori Bridge, costing €123 million alone. At 1,191m long, it is now Finland’s longest bridge.
All three accommodate tramlines, cycle paths and walkways, and are accessible only to emergency vehicles – no others.
It’s been a long time in the making, too. The idea for the project was part of Helsinki’s general urban plan way back in 2002, and the plan to use trams was given the go-ahead six years later. Construction began in 2021, and despite being slated for a 2027 opening, works finished slightly ahead of schedule.
Helsinki’s tram network is already well regarded by locals. The Finnish capital came ninth on Time Out’s ranking of the world’s best cities for public transport this year, thanks to strong praise from locals in our annual city life survey.
🚃 Check out Time Out’s roundup of the best cities on the planet for public transport right now.
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